A Sour Suprise for Chicken

Broiled white meat is the cooking method of choice for many health-conscious people. However, there is a commonly encountered problem that people experienced with broiling chicken breast. It can result in a rubbery, dry, and bland tasting meat. There is a way of making the meat flavorful and moist without using fattening ingredients or complicated sauces and gravies.

Lemon-oregano chicken is a simple and healthy recipe of broiled chicken breasts rubbed with lemon, oregano, parsley, garlic, pepper, salt, and olive oil. This results in a brown and crispy crust with a juicy and tangy flesh. In this recipe, it is the lemon and the olive oil that add moisture to the flesh of the chicken. Instead of gravy, lemon-oregano chicken is served with yogurt sauce for a really healthy and delicious meal.

If you want the chicken to melt in the mouth, broil the chicken with the skin on, it contains a lot of fat that melts when cooked and gives amazing natural flavor to the meat. When broiling, start with the skin down so that it is turned toward the source of heat. When you see that the skin has turned a golden color and the flesh is opaque, flip the breast to the other side to finish your cooking. If the fat concerns you, remove the skin before eating the chicken.

Rub the lemon and spices on the skin and under the skin of the chicken before cooking, to give it superior flavor. To give the chicken extra moisture and enhance its flavor, some people like to cook the chicken breasts in chicken stock before broiling. The heat source should be about 5 to 6 inches away from the top of the chicken for best broiling it. Preheat the broiler for 10 minutes before placing the chicken breasts inside, so that the chicken does not dry out before it is through cooking.

Ingredients

1 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
2 large garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 chicken breast halves (skin in tact)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup plain yogurt

1. Preheat the broiler. Cut lemon in half, then slice off 2 pieces and set aside. Peel the lemon and grate 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon peel then set aside. Squeeze 1 teaspoon lemon juice and also set aside.

2. Combine grated lemon peel, 2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, and pepper in a small mixing bowl then add garlic and salt and mix well.

3. Lifting up the chicken skin with your fingers spread ½ tablespoon of the lemon peel mixture between the skin and meat of all the chicken breasts. Then rub the breasts with oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Again use a small bowl, combine the yogurt and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Add to the remaining lemon peel mixture and stir very well.

5. Broil the chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. Turn the chicken once (about 12 minutes per side). Serve alongside the yogurt sauce.

Seafood Twist on Chicken

Chicken supreme is one of those dishes that would seem like it had taken you more than a couple of hours cooking in the kitchen. The stew has that rich, savory flavor made even more special with a stuffing of anchovy and rosemary. At the L'Oustau de Baumaniere, chef Jean Andre Charial makes it in less than an hour and so can you.

The term chicken supreme, or suprême de volaille in French, refers to the chicken breast with the wing bone attached. This cut of the chicken yields a larger serving than usual. The chef sears the chicken supreme in a pan with butter until it turns golden brown. Not only does it seals in the juicy chicken, it also helps intensify the flavor of the chicken surface through browning, thereby producing a tasty dish that seeps into the fowl stock and cream as it cooks.

With such a focus on the chicken, it is advisable to purchase chicken meat that is fresh, not frozen. If you use frozen, you will have to defrost it, which in turn can make the chicken lose its natural moistness. Cook the chicken with the skin on so that it holds the juices in, increases tenderness, and makes it crispy and more flavorful. Take extra care in keeping the chicken skin and the whole form of the chicken supreme intact during the pan-frying. Use a nonstick skillet for this purpose.

Since the chicken is to be stuffed with salt anchovy, there is no need to marinate the chicken meat anymore. Anchovies are sold salted and packed in tins, which is the one used for this recipe. Pick the ones that are whole, not crumbled. They also should have a slightly rose tint, which is a good indication that their delicate flavor is intact. To further add depth and heft to the dish, the stuffed chicken is stewed in cream with carrots, onions, and fowl stock flavored with rosemary. Serve with a bottle of Arbois blanc for a nice lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

1 fatted chicken from Bresse about 3 2/3 lbs.
4 anchovy fillets
1 carrot
1 onion
2 spoons fowl fond
2 dippers cream, butter,
1 ½ tablespoons rosemary

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken supremes. Use a small knife to cut 5 or 6 slits into the meat. Stuff the anchovy pieces inside the slits.
2. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrot and onion. Slice into small, round pieces. Brown the supremes in a cocotte pan with 1 oz. butter for about 1 minute.
3. Then add the carrot and onion, 2 spoons fowl fond, and 2 dippers cream. Cook on a medium flame for about 15 minutes.
4. Add the rosemary into the sauce and reduce until smooth in consistency. Strain. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.